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Topic: An early Carvin console |
Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 25 Jan 2022 5:57 pm |
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Because I'll probably never have another opportunity to play this model. It's a bit more crude than their steels from just a few years later, and there's a definite home-spun vibe about it. The logos say Baldwin Park, and Carvin was only based there for a few years in the early '50s. From the look of this steel, it was probably more of a garage than the later factories.
But, despite the quirks, this actually sounds better than the later Carvin steels I've owned. The pickups aren't adjustable at all but have excellent string balance and a bit more fullness to the bass than the AP-6/AP-8 design. If you look at the covers, they're jointed in different places; I suspect that they didn't have 8-string covers and simply cut and spliced together two 6-string covers. In a similar vein, the 8-on-a-side tuners are actually doubled mandolin tuners, with one end of the strip cut off in the Fender style to fit end-to-end.
The only non-original parts seem to be the jack plate and neck switch, though bigger leg sockets were added and removed at some point. It came with a case which I don't think is original but is delightfully covered in pearloid.
Interestingly, this is the only Carvin or Kiesel I can find of this fretboard pattern in this color scheme. All the other ones are reversed.
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 26 Jan 2022 5:18 am
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Yup, it's all mine.  |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2022 6:55 am
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Hey Noah,
I've got your guitar's little brother here. A pretty nice little S8 with MOTS covering. Fretboard is the inverse of yours and the pickup (rewound by Tom Brantley) has visible non-adjustable pole magnets so I expect it's a later model. The tuners are the original 4-on-a-strip enclosed Klusons with replaced buttons. If I think to, I'll check tonight to see if the sticker says Baldwin Park. Both the plastic nut and bridge were cracked on the low string so I fabbed some aluminum ones. I think they look and sound fine. I expect that Tom rewound the pickup to close to original spec. It doesn't have quite the grunt of a string-through but it has enough old-school growl for my purposes. It's a delight to play and makes me smile every time I open the case.
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Karl Paulsen
From:
Chicago
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Posted 26 Jan 2022 7:55 am
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Cool Steels folks.
The first instrument I bought for myself was a new Carvin LB75F fretless bass that was my main player through college so anything Carvin piques my interest.
More importantly though, how do they sound?
_________________
Nickel and Steel. Sad Songs and Steel Guitar.
https://www.facebook.com/NickelandSteel
Chicago Valley Railroad. Trainspotting and Bargain Hunting...
https://chicagovalleyrailroad.blogspot.com/ |
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Don Crowl
From:
Medford, Oregon, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2022 9:33 am
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| To me that console is really unique. Many years ago I researched some of Carvin history because I bought a Kiesel D8 bakelite lapsteel, the forerunner of Carvin. If I recall correctly my research revealed the business name changed changed from Kiesel to Carvin in 1950. Bobby Seymour told me his first steel was a similar model as mine. Later I bought a Carvin S8 wood body lap steel. Nice steels. Lately I mostly have gigged with the Carvin S8. |
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Karl Paulsen
From:
Chicago
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Posted 27 Jan 2022 12:22 pm
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| Don Crowl wrote: |
| To me that console is really unique. Many years ago I researched some of Carvin history because I bought a Kiesel D8 bakelite lapsteel, the forerunner of Carvin. If I recall correctly my research revealed the business name changed changed from Kiesel to Carvin in 1950. Bobby Seymour told me his first steel was a similar model as mine. Later I bought a Carvin S8 wood body lap steel. Nice steels. Lately I mostly have gigged with the Carvin S8. |
Cool to know the Carvin is giggable.
Carvin is just combination of the names of Lowel Kiesel's sons Carson and Gavin.
The company split a few years back into Kiesel Guitars and Carvin Audio, each headed by a different branch of the family. Kiesel seems to be doing well, still making custom USA made guitars with allot of emphasis on headless designs.
Carvin Audio, on the other hand folded a few years back, abandoned all it's warranty obligations, closed it's US manufacturing and then relaunched the following year with a very limited range of import products. They do seem to be growing though.
_________________
Nickel and Steel. Sad Songs and Steel Guitar.
https://www.facebook.com/NickelandSteel
Chicago Valley Railroad. Trainspotting and Bargain Hunting...
https://chicagovalleyrailroad.blogspot.com/ |
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Don Crowl
From:
Medford, Oregon, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2022 6:15 pm
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| One thing I did to my carvin S8, wood body was too have holes drilled through the body to make it a string through. That anchored the bridge to the body better & maybe upgraded the tone. |
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Barney Roach
From:
California, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2022 7:47 pm
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Thank you for posting pictures of your VERY COOL
steel Noah! I shared your link with key members
of the Kiesel family, and received very positive
replies from them.
This one from the late Lowell Kiesel's son Mark
contained some history, and I am proudly posting
it here with his blessing:
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Karl Paulsen
From:
Chicago
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